Washington: President Donald Trump on Monday indicated the U.S. would resume sending weapons to Ukraine, a notable shift just days after ordering a pause in critical military deliveries to Kyiv. This change in posture comes after the Pentagon last week announced it would hold back air defence missiles, precision-guided artillery, and other weapons, citing concerns over declining U.S. stockpiles. Trump emphasised, "We have to... They have to be able to defend themselves," acknowledging Ukraine's need for support.

The abrupt pause in shipments, including Patriot, GMLRS, Hellfire missiles, and Howitzer rounds, surprised Ukrainian officials and allies, occurring at a difficult juncture as Ukraine faces increasingly complex and frequent air barrages from Russia. Meanwhile, Russian attacks intensified, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring over 80 others, including seven children, on Monday. Russian forces fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas overnight, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reporting that Russia launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and nearly 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine in the past week.

Amidst these developments, President Trump voiced growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, "I’m not happy with President Putin at all," as he grapples to find a resolution to the brutal war. In a separate, major development, Russia's Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead in an apparent suicide, hours after the Kremlin announced his dismissal. His firing followed a weekend of travel chaos at Russian airports due to drone threat-related grounding of hundreds of flights, with media reports linking his dismissal to an investigation into alleged embezzlement of funds for fortifications in the Kursk region.

This alleged embezzlement has been cited as a reason for deficiencies in Russia’s defensive lines, which reportedly failed to stem a surprise Ukrainian incursion in August 2024. The strain of keeping Russia’s invasion at bay, combined with the lack of progress in peace talks and the recent U.S. weapons pause, has compelled Ukraine to seek more military help from the U.S. and Europe. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt clarified that the aid pause was part of a "standard review of all weapons and all aid" globally, ensuring alignment with U.S. interests.

Ukraine is actively bolstering its own defence capabilities, with President Zelenskyy announcing deals to significantly step up drone production, aiming for "hundreds of thousands" more this year. He underscored the vital role of "Air defence" in protecting lives, including developing interceptor drones to counter Russian Shahed drones, noting their importance in compensating for troop shortages. Specific attacks on Monday led to one death in Odesa, one killed and 71 injured in Kharkiv, damage in Kyiv, two killed and two injured in Sumy, and seven killed and nine injured in Donetsk. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed it shot down 91 Ukrainian drones across 13 Russian regions, the Black Sea, and Crimea overnight.

With inputs from AP